FORSETH: What happened in Jerusalem at Easter 2,000 years ago, made Canadians what they are today

Parliament is now adjourned for Easter break until April 8th. MPs will be seeing constituents in their ridings and doing public events close to home.The government issues statements of commemoration for every conceivable religious day, of every brand imaginable. They even recently delayed voting day in 2025 for religious reasons. (Or so they said.)However, the significance of Easter seems to be fading. This would be especially so for Generation Z (or iGen — for iPhone etc) who are those born 1997–2010, and for Generation Alpha, those born Between 2010-2024. Generation Z kids are the first to be born into a world where they know nothing else besides being constantly connected to one another, albeit through phones, screens, and tablets. However, like millennials before them, Gen Z'ers are often environmentally conscious, somewhat inclusive and accepting of others, and politically aware of leftie political thinking— despite many of them not yet being of voting age. Next, kids born between 2010 and 2024 are part of Generation Alpha. Generation Alpha is the first generation of kids who will never know a time when social media didn't exist, and they are far more tech-savvy than any generation. It is a powerful tool that can change even global culture. Many are not aware of Easter beyond a chocolate bunny. Canadians may ask why we celebrate Easter. They may know it has something to do with Christ’s crucifixion, but not much else. How is it that a Canadian does not know why we commemorate Easter? Significantly, too many have had no Christian religious education, and the church has not played a part in their upbringing, so needless to say they never went to church. Only about half of Canadians identify as nominal Christians, and that percentage is falling. According to a 2021 Statistics Canada census, 19.3 million people, or 53.3 percent of Canadians, identify as Christian, down from 77.1 percent in 2001. Muslims represent 4.9 percent of the population, Hindus 2.3 percent, Sikhs 2.1 percent and Jews 1.4 percent. But about 12.6 million people, or just over 33 percent, reported no religious affiliation at all. That doesn't mean they're atheists, only that organized religion is not in their lives. They likely may not know the story of Easter, but they observe that the banks have reduced hours, government offices may be closed, some stores may have reduced hours and schools have a break. By default then, Easter is celebrated, but perhaps with chocolate eggs and maybe a family get-together, and not with hymns of praise, or a sunrise religious gathering on Easter Sunday morning. Whether one believes in God is one’s business. However, articles of Christian faith aside, a basic knowledge of the story of Christianity is essential to being an educated person in a Western culture like Canada's.All of us should know why people celebrate Easter — and Christmas — regardless. Without that basic knowledge, how are we to understand so much of Western literature, art, music, history, and even politics? These religious and moral values help decide our country's elections. Christianity can move people to acts of tremendous sacrifice and compassion. In Canada's beginning, Samuel de Champlain founded settlements, and among the varied goals, he considered his efforts as a Christian enterprise. So the least we can do is have some understanding of what Christianity says and teaches. If one tours Europe and visits Canada's origins, everywhere there are magnificent churches, art galleries, concert halls, and museums. But, one does not fully appreciate them if you have never heard of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John. Increasingly in secular Canada, how do we educate about our foundations? In Canada, schools teach some form of religious education and history, but most often it is vague, except for parents who pay much extra for private school. The Easter break brings our attention, but do many especially notice or care why? We should care, because it is about recognizing that Christianity is the most important and influential force in all Western history, and therefore something worth knowing. Let us remember the Bible changed the world. At least some portions of the Bible have been translated into 3,658 languages. The Bible draws a contrast between God and other human-created gods. Biblical monotheism and the denial of all other gods, served as the single most important moral and intellectual advance in history. Listed are some world-transforming consequences of biblical monotheism. God is revealed by the Bible. 1. The God who reveals Himself in the Bible is the first God in history, to have been understood as entirely above and beyond nature. 2. This God brought universal morality into the world. 3. “Good” and “evil” are not individual or societal opinions but objectively real. 4. The word of God in the Bible morally judges every human being. 5. It gives humanity hope. 6. It introduced holiness — the elevation of humans from animal-like to beings created in God’s image. 7. God gives every individual unprecedented self-worth and...8.... is necessary for human brotherhood. 9. The word of God began the long journey to belief in human equality. 10.God is revealed as incorporeal, (no body; not physical.)11. The Bible teaches us that the physical realm is not the only reality and...12. ...means there is ultimate meaning to our existence and to each of our lives. 13. God gave human beings free will. 14. He taught that might is not right. 15. God made human moral progress possible. So, my comment is to pay attention to the full meaning of Easter that was first promised in Genesis 3:15. Canada’s deep moral core depends on it.

FORSETH: What happened in Jerusalem at Easter 2,000 years ago, made Canadians what they are today

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